Euronews

While the White House continues to push for tougher legislation, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-gun organisations have stepped up their campaigns to promote female gun ownership.

They argue that only armed women can protect themselves and their children against violent attacks.

The NRA also claims that more and more women have been rushing to gun stores to buy firearms since the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in December last year, where a crazed gunman shot 20 children and six teachers dead in a school before turning the gun on himself.

Polling research disputes this claim however and experts accuse the NRA of trying to create a self fulfilling prophecy.

According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center 90 percent of women are concerned about gun violence and prefer prevention compared to unfettered access to guns.

American women who are killed are more likely to be killed with guns than by all other methods combined.

Also gun ownership does not necessarily bring safety as around 700 American women are shot and killed by their intimate partners each year.

But there are certain ladies who do feel safer with guns. Euronews met female members of a Virginia shooting range, one of them is Lisa Carlisle, she said:

“I wanted to get it for safety. When I got my pistol, it was definitely for safety. But you have got to know how to use it. You just cannot get a gun, and say I got it for safety. You got to do something and put some action behind it.”

Euronews’ correspondent in the USA said:

“In the national gun debate, both sides are trying to lobby women for their cause. But this is not an easy task. Women want security and protection, even with guns. But women also want tougher gun control.”